REVIEW: Festive treat Cinderella at Derby Arena

Big and bold, this classic pantomime is brought to life by a great cast, catchy songs and outrageous costumes at Derby Arena.

This year’s glittery extravaganza offers some well-known faces and chart hits, as well as double dame trouble in the form of Cinderella’s ugly sisters Lav and Lou (Oliver Gray and Dean Horner).

After all, how better to get in the mood for Christmas than shouting your heart out at men in monstrous wigs and platform shoes?

As expected from a pantomime, the majority of jokes are delightfully terrible and the costumes seem to be a new level of outrageous. How the dames dance in those ten-inch heels is a mystery to any woman, but these men seem to manage it.

The show is also peppered with local references, including Borrowash and Allenton, which is a nice touch.

With its bouncing energy and a whole heap of panto silliness, the performance has the arena buzzing with excitement from start to finish. The pantomime is the only kind of show at which you learn to tolerate children screaming in your ear the entire time. It strengthens the sense that everyone is enjoying themselves.

The show is not just for the kids though, with subtle innuendos and improvisation from Buttons (comedian and Eastenders actor Richard Blackwood) and Cinderella’s (Cara Dudgeon) beautiful vocal solos.

An absolute festive treat, Cinderella is enough to invoke the spirit of Christmas in any viewer, leaving children spellbound and adults still chuckling to themselves on the way back to the car.

Cinderella is running at Derby Arena until January 3. Tickets range from £13.25 to £30.35. Call 01332 255800 or visit www.derbylive.co.uk for more information or to book.